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The government has announced that the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) is to be replaced by a new statutory board, Workforce Singapore (WSG).

WSG will focus on a two-pronged approach – helping businesses become more manpower lean while also increasing the employability of Singaporean workers.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the role of WSG would be to strengthen the Singaporean core and match supply with industry demand.

“Workforce Singapore will … support MOM in tackling manpower challenges as we transform our economy to be future-ready. With its greater focus on job placements, career services, and industry workforce development, Workforce Singapore will help … companies to better address their manpower needs,” said Lim Swee Say, the Minister for Manpower.

The board will also continue the WDA’s present functions of employment facilitation, career services and industry engagement.

“Workforce Singapore will be MOM’s agent in developing a strong Singaporean core in each sector of our economy, and help companies to be manpower-lean while remaining competitive,” said Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies.

Finally, SkillsFuture will remain as a multi-agency effort involving WSG, the government’s second proposed statutory board, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), and all tripartite partners.

These changes will require reorganisation within the government as well as changes to current laws. Completion of all necessary parliamentary legislative processes will take until the end of 2016, says MOM. Until then, the WDA will continue to operate as normal.

Once WSG has been created, it will then replace the WDA as one of MOM’s statutory boards.